Twists and Turns
by GilmoreDrama
Summary: Reba stands still for a few seconds, too shocked to move before she runs after him. When she reaches the livingroom she hears the sound of his car driving away. “Brock…don’t leave me.” – She whispers while tears fall from her eyes.
1. Chapter 1

Author: Milachan

Title: Twists and Turns

Disclaimer: Unfortunately Reba and co don't belong to me…And I'm not making money out of it….

Reviews are greatly apreciated and expected...so pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaase review!!!! I need to know what you think before I post the others chapters to this story!! This is my first fanfic and my first fanfic written in english so please don't be too cruel...lol

* * *

In the Hart's family house shouts could be heard from upstairs. For a long time it was all that could be heard in the house. 

"How many times will I have to tell you not to leave your clothes scattered around the room?! I'm tired of cleaning after you! I'm not your maid, I'm your wife!"

"Could have fooled me!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well let's see…I have to give you money every month, you clean my house and…oh yeah, we don't have SEX anymore! You certainly sound like a maid to ME!"

"You jerk! Get out! I don't want to see your face anymore!"

"Well, if you continue to treat me the way you do you certainly will never see my face anymore!"

Reba stops at this, her face sickly pale. She drops the clothes she had in her hand and takes a step back, eyes filling with tears. But Brock is oblivious to her reaction; with an angry sigh he leaves the room slamming the door on his way out. Reba stands still for a few seconds, too shocked to move before she runs after him. When she reaches the living-room she hears the sound of his car driving away.

"Brock…don't leave me." – She whispers while tears fall from her eyes.

* * *

Brock doesn't come home that night and Reba can't sleep, she stays awake by the living-room window waiting for her husband. 

"Mommy?" – She hears her son calling from the stairs, hastily whipping her eyes and putting on a fake smile she turns around to address Jake.

"Yes sweetie? Why are you up so early?"

"Mom, its morning already! Why didn't you wake me up for school?"

Confused she stares out the window at the clear bright day outside. She was so worried about Brock that she didn't feel the time passing.

"I'm sorry darling, I forgot about the time. Come on, I'll make you breakfast and then I'll take you to school and I'll explain to your teacher that you're late because of me. Ok?"

"Yeah"

"Could you wake your sisters while I prepare breakfast?" – She kisses the boy's cheek and goes to the kitchen.

* * *

Another night spent in front of the window and Brock isn't back yet. Reba is starting to panic. She doesn't want to worry the children, but they notice something is wrong. The first one to confront her is her daughter Kyra. On the third morning of Brocks disappearance she finds her mom once again by the window and decides to ask her about her dad. 

"Mom?"

"Yes darling?" – Reba responds without taking her eyes from the window.

"Where's dad? I haven't seen him lately."

This gets Reba's attention. She turns around and looks at her daughter for a long time trying to come up with a good answer.

'_I can't tell her about the fight, I can't tell her I think he is never going to come back…' _– She thinks sadly.

"He's been working a lot dear. He comes home pretty late and goes to work early. There are a lot of things to do at his office. That's why he got an assistant. It'll be only for a short time."

Just as she finishes the phrase Brock comes from the Kitchen. Kyra runs to her dad and hugs him.

"I missed you dad. You are working too much."

"I'm sorry honey. Don't you have school today? I saw the bus just around the corner. You better hurry."

Kyra grabs her bag from the couch and runs out of the door, a few seconds' later Jake runs behind her. Brock looks at Reba for a few seconds not sure of what to say. She is so relieved he's back that she can't think about anything else.

"I'll go take a bath" – Brock says trying to break the uncomfortable silence. He turns away and goes to his room. Reba stares at the stairs before she goes after him.

"Brock, where were you?" – She asks after she enters the bedroom.

"Not now Reba, please. Just…give me a break." – He says tiredly

"No! You were gone for three days Brock! Three days! I think I deserve to know were you've been!"

"Fine! I stayed at a motel. Happy?"

He starts to take his shirt off on his way to the bathroom but she grabs his arm and stops him.

"Please Brock, we have to talk." – She says close to tears. He harshly frees his arm from her grip.

"What for? It will not solve anything! Let me take my bath please."

"Don't do this to me, please. I…I waited for you…I'm exhausted. I haven't slept since you left! I just…I'm so tired…" – she whispers the last part, eyes brimming with tears that falls on her pale face. Brock ignores her and locks the bathroom door behind him. The sound of the shower only serves to muffle the sobs that escape from her lips, but he can still hear her crying.

"What have I done?" – He quietly asks himself, voice clouded with pain and regret.

* * *

He wakes up in the middle of the night a little disoriented. With a look at the digital clock on the nightstand he turns in his bed searching for the body that should have been beside him but is not. More alert he hears the soft sound of crying and sits up. Looking around the room he soon finds his wife sitting by the window, clad only in a nightshirt that is too thin to use in a cold night like this. She is trembling so much he can see it in the moolight. 

"Reba? What are you doing up?"

He sees her hastily whiping her face before she replies.

"Go back to sleep Brock, it's late."

He cringes at the weakness and pain he can hear in her voice.

"I know it's late, it's 4:30 in the morning. Come back to bed. It's too cold for you to be up."

"I'm not tired."

He gets out of the bed and walks up to her.

"Reba, you said you haven't slept for three days, It's impossible for you to not be tired." – He says while he grabs one of her hands but she evades his touch.

"Go back to sleep." – She whispers, voice cracking.

"I'm sorry. I…was an idiot…I am an idiot. I'm sorry I hurt you." – He says as he hugs her from behind. She tries to escape but he just tightens his arms around her.

"I love you Reba. I love you so much…"

After hearing this she gives up and let the tears she was trying to hold fall from her eyes together with the sobs that racks her lithe body. Brock sits on the floor with her securely in his embrace and just holds her, whispering sweet nothings in her ear to comfort her until she falls asleep in his arms, too exhausted to cry anymore.

* * *

The next day Reba wakes to find the bed empty, the place next to her cold. She panics thinking everything that happened last night was just a dream and that Brock was still gone. Getting up she runs out of the bedroom and go to every room in the house searching for him. She finds him in the kitchen table drinking juice and reading the paper. 

"You're here." – She whispers getting his attention.

"Hey sleepy head. Thought you were going to sleep all day." - He jokes, a smile on his face that dies as soon as he looks at her. She is staring at him with a look of pure relief in her eyes, her face is white as a sheet, and her breathing is erratic as if she just ran a long way.

"Reba? You ok?"

"Yeah. I just…"

He watches her for a moment, confused when he notices the light tinge of fear still shining in her blue eyes.

"You thought I was still gone, didn't you? You came here looking for me..."

He puts the paper on the table and walks towards her. He gently caresses her face and kisses her mouth before he envelops her in a hug.

"I'm not going to leave you, not ever again." – He whispers and feels her relaxing in his arms at his words.

"Now, go back to the bedroom and gets ready because I'm going to take you out to have lunch."

She smiles that cute little smile and kisses him before she goes back to the bedroom to change.

"We will not fight again, I promise you Reba" – He whispers to her retreating form.

* * *

TBC 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Unfortunately Reba and co still doesn't belong to me…If they did the sitcom would never end in the sixth season...

Once again reviews are greatly appreciated and expected….I'm a little insecure about this chapter….Didn't turn out the way I viewed…So….I reeeeeeeeeeeeally need to know what you think….

* * *

_LAST CHAPTER..._

_He puts the paper on the table and walks towards her. He gently caresses her face and kisses her mouth before he envelops her in a hug._

_"I'm not going to leave you, not ever again." – He whispers and feels her relaxing in his arms at his words._

_"Now, go back to the bedroom and gets ready because I'm going to take you out to have lunch."_

_She smiles that cute little smile and kisses him before she goes back to the bedroom to change._

_"We will not fight again, I promise you Reba" – He whispers to her retreating form._

* * *

The next fight happens a week later when Brock forgets their 20 year anniversary. After that the fighting never stops. They start arguing about silly things such as misplaced objects, the time the other spends in the shower, the noise they make while eating… Everything seems a good motive to argue. Brock starts staying more and more time out of the house, he spends some nights away and when he comes back he doesn't look his wife in the eyes. They don't talk anymore; they don't even speak with each other except when they are fighting. The kids try to spend as much time as they can out of the house. 

The older one knows it is only a matter of time before her father leaves her mother for good and part of her is almost praying for it to happen. It's not as if she wishes for her parent's unhappiness but her shallow side, the side that she sometimes shows too often, is tired of the yelling and tired of being embarrassed because her parents are often fighting in front of other people.

The other day one of her classmates came to her saying something about her parents always fighting before they divorced. The thing that bothered her the most was the fact that this classmate belonged to the geek group, and was comparing her to him, she was not one of them. No, this had to end soon.

The middle one was torn between what she knew in her mind was going to happen and what her heart wanted. From the way her parents fought everyday it was clear they were going to end divorced. But some small part, one she would never admit to have even with the threat of death, prayed with all her might for their conciliation. She was tired of hearing her mother crying in her room, tired of her dad not being there because of a fight, tired of having to see her family falling apart and feel alone.

Sometimes she blamed her mom. When they sit down to eat dinner and the chair her father usually occupy is empty, when she arrives from school with her school report full of good grades and he is not there to hug her and tell her how proud he is, in these time she really blames her mother, and she really hates her then. But sometimes she just looks at her and sees her puffy red eyes, the way she seems thinner everyday, she sees her standing by the window waiting for her husband to come back, sees her curled up on her bed hugging her dad's shirt and crying. In those moments she loves her more than anything and feels as sad and alone as she might be feeling.

The younger one, the only boy in the family, is oblivious. He hears his parents yelling at each other bur is too young to understand what is happening. He thinks nothing of it because he always fights with his sisters and they always up after that. What bothered him was the fact that his mother and sisters were sad, they seemed to be sad constantly nowadays, and his father absence bugged him too. He missed him. He missed his happy family.

* * *

After spending another weekend in a hotel Brock comes back to the house, he warily opens the door expecting Reba to star yelling at him and let out a relived sign when he don't see anybody in the living room. When he enters the kitchen intending to grab something to eat he sees his wife curled up in a chair in the backyard with her back turned to him. She looks so small, fragile and lonely sitting there by herself. 

He stands there by the door to the backyard watching his wife bathed in the sunligh, her red hair almost glowing in the sun, If it was not for the lack of wings he could swear she was an angel.

'_Gods she's beautiful!'_

He takes a few steps inside the yard, the sound of his shoes crushing the grass alerts Reba to his presence.

"Oh, you're back." – She says plainly, half whispering as she just barely glances at him.

"Where are the kids?" – He asks, suddenly feeling and urge to break the unconfortable silence.

"Chayenne is at the mall." - She pauses, taking a long drag from the cigarette that Brock only now noticed between the long graceful fingers. – "Kyra and Jake are at an after school practice."

"Oh."

Silence decends on them again and Brock remember, sadly, the time when they always had something to talk about. Now the only time they even speak to each other is when they are arguing and screaming. He watches with a deep sence of guilty and dispair when Reba takes another long drag from the cigarette, knowing that it was his fault she started to smoke. Her elegant movement spoke of a not so new habit.

"You shouldn't smoke. It's really bad for your health." – He says calmly.

"People shouldn't do a lot of things, but it never stops them." – She replies, eyes staring vacantly at the bright blue sky.

"Baby…" – He starts, but can't think of anything to say. Not a singlr word in his vocabulary can fix the damage he caused, not a single thing he says can make things alright again. And he feels the sting behind his eyes, the telltale sign of tears, as his mind finaly comes around to the fact that he lost her. She is staring at him with her amazing blue eyes so full of sadness it brakes his heart, the part she owns of it.

"You are leaving aren't you?" – She voices the thing they spent the best part of a year trying to avoid. And when the words leave her sweet lips he realizes it really is the best thing to do.

"I think it's the best thing to do. We are not working….our marriage is not working." – He tries to force his voice to sound stronger while he feels overwhelmed with despair at the startling reality. He lost her.

"What are we gaing to tell the kids?" – Reba asks calmly, eyes still on the sky, contemplating the view. Brock glances at her confused when he is suddenly interrupted from his thoughts.

"I don't know, we should be honest with them." - He answers, his gaze averted to the startling beauty he sees in front of him.

The place is bathed in silence except for the sound of his own irregular breaths and the rustle of clothes when she moves on the seat and turns towards him, her blue eyes glittering like diamonds.

"It's not…" - He pauses trying to push his desperation to the back of his mind. - "I really don't want you to be out of my life forever, I want us to be friends. Can we?"

She wanted to be angry at him, she really did. The man was leaving her and he wanted to be friends? She knew she should be furious, but all she managed to feel was sorrow and sadness. She turns her eyes down to stare at her own hands, trying to hide the tears that marks her face.

Brock tilts her chin up just a little and gently dry her face with the back of his hands.

"I think now is when you should say that everything is going to be alright, isn't it?" – Reba half jokes trying to break some of her lingering tension, but even though she says it playfully the fake comfort the words could bring would be appreciated.

He just snorts inelegantly and shakes his head before he cover her mouth with his in a sweet kiss.

"I love you." – She whispers before she stands on her toes and kisses him. This time the kiss is more desperate and they hold each other tightly. She almost cries out in surprise when he wrappes an arm around her waist and presses her against a wall, his body so close to hers she could feel his entire presence engulfing her. She ran her hands through his hair, pulling softly and slowly led him towards the bedroom and he went with her without a word. All the time he kept holding her tightly, kissing her.

She brought her delicate hands over his shoulders and started slipping his jacket off; with his help they were soon coatless. They kicked their shoes off somewhere along the way to the bed and finally managed to fall onto the mattress without tripping over each other. He rolled on top of her and began to undo the buttons of her blouse slowly while he teased with kisses every piece of her pale skin he uncovered. She moaned and grabbed his hair pulling his face closer to hers for another kiss.

Soon they where naked and panting, kissing and holding each other like there was no tomorrow, his tongue played with hers as he nipped her red lips and it was too much. She knew this was wrong; she should be pushing him away not the other way around. The man was leaving her for Christ sake! She really should be pushing him away…But she couldn't…She didn't want to.

To Brock the sight of the red-haired moaning beneath him was the most incredible thing he has ever seen, and to think he was giving this up was enough to make him want to cry.

* * *

It was already dark when she woke up to the sound of someone moving about in the room, a little disoriented she sits up in bed and discovers her body is naked under the covers. Covering herself, Reba looks around the room and finds Brock already dressed, putting his clothes inside a suitcase. 

She can still feel the heat of his body on top of her, his weight pinning her to the mattress, she can still taste the sweetness of his kisses on her mouth, can still feel him moving inside her, can still hear his voice moaning her name in ecstasy. It had felt so good to be with him, so perfect. And now he was leaving her.

She watches as he continues to put all his clothes and small belongings inside his bag carefully avoiding her. He kept his gaze to the task at hand, never once straying his gaze to her. She feels a little hurt at his coldness but doesn't move a muscle to give voice to her pain, she just keeps watching as more and more of Brocks traces leave her room. To her it all seems like a scene from some of the sad, romantic movies she likes to watch. If so, this should be the moment where the girl in the movie gets up, hugs the guy she loves and asks him to stay. But this time the movie won't have a happy ending, he was not going to stay.

Suddenly she feels arms around her, embracing her tightly yet with an indescribable tenderness.

"Reba. I'm sorry. Please don't cry." – Brock whispers in her ear and in that moment she notices the wetness in her cheeks. She was crying, again.

'_How many times can a person cry before they dry up?' _– She thinks to herself.

After a quick kiss on the cheek Brock grabs his suitcases and leaves the room. She waits for the sound of his car getting out of the driveway before she grabs the nearest thing she finds and throw it against the wall. The picture frame with her wedding picture lies on the floor amidst pieces of broken glass.

* * *

Brock was once again in his office late at night. Since he left the house this is the only place he feels comfortable in. He was sitting in his chair, staring distractedly at his desk when someone knocked at his door. 

"Come on in." – He replies and his assistant Barbra Jean appears.

"Dr. Hart…I…I really need to talk to you."

At the site of the always so cheerful blond wringing her hands nervously he turns his attention to her, concern shining in his eyes.

"Is there something wrong Barbra Jean?"

She starts to shake her head no but stops herself and closes the door.

"I really don't know…It might be something good depending on what angle you see this…"

"You are starting to worry me."

"I'm pregnant" – She blurters it out. Brock stares at her with a horrified expression on his face.

"You've got to be kidding me. Please tell me it's a joke."

"It's a joke." – BJ says with a nervous smile.

"It is?"

"No. I'm sorry."

"Are you sure you are pregnant?

"Positive"

Brock signs tiredly, hands scrubbing his haggard face. Now he was certain his marriage was over. Barbra Jean was still in the room but he just ignored her, he was worried about his family. He really screwed things up this time.

"Guess now Reba and I won't be best friends anymore." – BJ lamented before she exited the office leaving Brock with his thoughts and regrets. He really didn't need another problem in his hands. His crumbling marriage was already enough for him to handle.

* * *

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Unfortunately Reba and co still doesn't belong to me…If they did the sitcom would never end in the sixth season...

I know this chapter is very small and I'm reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally sorry about that...and I'm sorry it took me sooooooooooooo long to update...I had thousand of things to do...between college and work I didn't have much time...Sooo...have fun...and Review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

_

* * *

_

_Previous Chapter…_

"_Are you sure you are pregnant?_

"_Positive"_

_Brock signs tiredly, hands scrubbing his haggard face. Now he was certain his marriage was over. Barbra Jean was still in the room but he just ignored her, he was worried about his family. He really screwed things up this time._

"_Guess now Reba and I won't be best friends anymore." – BJ lamented before she exited the office leaving Brock with his thoughts and regrets. He really didn't need another problem in his hands. His crumbling marriage was already enough for him to handle._

* * *

She looked at her family sitting in the psychologist office, a psychologist assigned by the _court_! When had life turned into this mess? Kids where not supposed to see their parents splitting apart, they should not have to go to court where an estranger decided with whom they should live. Her family was not supposed to be falling apart like this!

Dr. Susan Peters entered the room and started to make some questions she only responded half-hearted, her mind was somewhere else. When the kids started to talk about where they wanted to live she snapped.

"Stop this now! Nobody will move out of the house! Brock, you are going to come back home and we'll try to work things out. I know that if we try we can fix this."

"Reba, Barbra Jean and I are getting married."

"Oh no! You are not stupid enough to throw away 20 years of marriage, Brock! We can make this work. You were gone from our house a month ago. It is not enough time to fall in love and decide to marry to someone."

"I have to marry her!"

"No you don't! The only reason you would have to marry her was if she…" – At the guilty look on Brock's face she paled.

"Oh god…Oh god…Oh god."

'_She's pregnant? That means…'_

"Tell me you didn't. Please Brock…Please…"

"What is wrong?" – Jake asked innocently.

"Dad cheated on mom and got his assistant pregnant." – Kyra replies with a smirk.

"But I thought Cheyenne was pregnant!"

"Shut up, Jake!" – Cheyenne says angrily.

"Back off. He's just a stupid kid."

"I'm not stupid. She left the pregnancy test in the trash can."

Reba starts to shake her head, trying to wake from the nightmare she's living, but this is the real thing, it's really happening, her worst fears are becoming true. Her family is falling apart and she watches it with a deep sense of ruin and helplessness because she knows there is nothing she can do to fix this. This time it could not be fixed. She gets up and starts to leave the office, calling the kids to come to the car and ignoring Brock's voice calling her. She needs to get home.

* * *

As soon as the car stops in the driveway Reba is out, she ignores her children calling her name, ignores everything around her until she is inside her bedroom, door locked. As soon as she is alone her knees give out and she falls like a rag doll to the floor, body completely devoid of strength. She felt so cold, even though it was mid summer, and it seemed that she would never be warm again.

Tousand of thoughts swirl around in her mind, Cheyenne's pregnancy the most pressing and distressing one. God, how could she let this happen! She was so worried with the ruin of her marriage that she neglected her own kids. She was a lousy wife and a terrible mother.

And now she was all alone, there was no one here to hug her at the end of the day when the problems in her life seemed too big, there was no one with whom she could share her burdens, her worries. She was alone. Brock was gone…She lost him forever…

Suddenly it was hard to breath and she hugs her legs to her chest, pushing her face into her knees to muffle the sob that escapes from her lips. She felt so lost! It hurt so much she was certain she could feel her heart breaking into tine pieces.

Her mother once told her that when you cried you felt better and even though she never agreed with her she cried desperately, hoping that this ache would go away.

"Reba." – Someone whispered, but the voice sounded so far away. It took her sometime to realize it was coming from outside the door.

"Reba." – The voice spoke again. It sounded familiar.

"Brock?" – She askes quietly and unsure.

"Yes, it's me. Please open the door, the kids are worried about you."

She tries to say something but all that escapes her mouth is a dry sob.

"Reba. Please open the door. I…I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you this much."

"J-just go away. Please…Go…Away."

"Let me talk to you…Open the door." – Broke asks almost desperately.

"I can't- I can't deal with you right now…Please…I'm beggind you…Go away"

"I'm sorry." – Her now ex-husband whispers and she can hear the cracking in his voice.

She cries heavily into her knees mourning the end of her marriage, the loss of the love of her life and the ruin of her life. She screams and rages, trying to alleviate the pressure in her heart. She knows she has to get it together because her kids still needed her, but just for a little while she alows her missery to take over.


	4. Chapter 4

You can all curse me if you want, I know I deserve it. I'm really sorry it took me so long to update but I had a really nasty case of writer's block in this chapter. Anyway, next chapter is almost done, I just have to write the first scene and I'll post it. Please continue to read and review, I love to read what you are thinking about this fic.

DISCLAIMER: You know the drill, they don't belong to me, I really wish they did but FOX owns them...

* * *

After an entire day moping in bed Reba forces herself to get up, take a bath and continue with her life, even though the simple task of waking was more than she could actually manage at the moment. Today she was going to have a talk with her older daughter. Her PREGNANT older daughter. How did things turned out so bad? How could she not notice something as huge as this? 

With a sign she finished her bath and went downstairs to prepare breakfast to her kids. With the table set, the eggs already scrambled and waiting in plates she managed to gather enough courage to call Brock at the condo he was now living in before anyone came to the kitchen. He answers the phone after the third ring with a voice laced with sleep. She feels a little bit of satisfaction at having woken him up.

"Hello?"

"Who is it Brock?" – A woman's voice asks from the other side of the line and Reba freezes, feeling tears gathering in her eyes.

'_We are not even divorced yet and he is already living with her' _– She thinks bitterly.

"If you don't say anything I'm going to hang up." – Brock's grumpy voice sounds in her ear.

"Brock…We have to talk to Cheyenne…About the pregnancy. Can you come over when the kids are back from school?"

"Reba? I…Of course I'll come."

"Good…And try to come alone." – She says coldly before hanging up. Soon the kitchen is filled with noise as the kids come down to breakfast. Reba ignores them and the food on the table in favor of doing the dishes; she's not the least bit hungry. At the sound of the School bus horn has everyone gathering their things and running to the door is seconds and before they are all out the red-head calls Chayenne back.

"Chayenne…I expect you and your boyfriend here after school…We have to talk." - She ignores the grimace on the blond girl's face and shoos her out of the house.

When she is finally alone she lets her face crumble and sits on the sofa dejectedly, already feeling out of energy even though the day has only began.

* * *

As soon as Van and Chayenne are out of the house she runs into the kitchen, trying to control the turmoil of emotions consuming her. Did her family think she was made of steel? There really was only so much she could take until she became irrevocably broken and she was so close to that breaking point, so close she could feel it coming. 

Trying to disconnect her mind from all this she plunged herself into the mindless task of preparing dinner, letting her mind rest while she used all her focus into cutting ingredients, boiling water and frying meat. She was so concentrated that she almost jumped out of her skin when she felt a hand touching her arm. Turning around her eyes met the concerned gaze of her ex-husband.

"Reba, you are crying." – He says so softly it almost felt like a caress. Confused, she touches her cheek and is shocked to find it wet.

'_Again with the tears. Will I ever stop crying?' _– She thinks tiredly.

"The onions make my eyes burn, it's nothing."

Brock chooses not to point out the fact that there were no onions in the kitchen, instead he studies her, seeing for the first time how frail and tired she looked, how dull and dark her beautiful blue eyes were. For the first time in weeks he really looks at her and notices how lifeless the red-head looked. He doesn't flinch at the stab of pain he can feel in his heart; he deserves every bit of it.

"What are you doing to yourself?"

"I'm not doing anything, what are you talking about? I'm fine."

She speaks with so much conviction that he would've believed her if he hadn't noticed the trembling in her body. She looks so fragile that he is afraid of hurting her when he grabs her by the elbow and guides her to a chair.

"Reba, you don't look so good. When was the last time you ate something?"

"I-I don't remember. Day before yesterday?" – She finishes lamely, closing her eyes and resting her head against the back of the chair as she feels the exhaustion and lack of food finally catching up to her.

"Reba?"

"I'm just…Tired." – The red-head answers with a sigh before sitting straighter to stare at the table in front of her.

The warmth of his hand against her cheek is unexpected and in an unguarded moment she closes her eyes in unconscious appreciantion nuzzling Brock's hand very softly, silently reveling in the way this most insignificant touch was still able to make her skin tingle, wondering why it couldn't always be like this between them.

"Why are you doing this to yourself? Don't you see the only one you are hurting is you?"

Her eyes snaps open and she wrenches her face away from his touch, glaring at him as she stands up.

"I'm living my life Brock, what do you think I'm doing?"

"This is not you Reba, you are so much stronger than this…"

"No I'm not! I'm not strong. Right now I'm anything but strong."

"You can't continue like this Reba, you've got to take care of yourself. Think of the kids."

"I am thinking about them, they are all I'm thinking about. What about you Brock, do you think about them? Did you think about them whem you decided to have an affair?"

"This is not fair." – He whispers angrily, eyes shining with guilt.

"Not fair? Oh I'm sorry, I'm always so UNFAIR with you!"

She laughs, the sound harsh and dripping with bitterness and he can't look her in the eyes. He thinks about the time the two of them met, the innocence he could still see in every aspect of her and the sweetness that made him fall in love with her, but now none of it is there, instead, he can see pain and desilusion and he knows it's all his fault.

"You can't keep doing this Reba."

"What do you want from me?" – She asks, broken, tired.

"I want you to start taking care of yourself! I want to know you are going to be alright."

"I'm doing the best I can Brock! Do you have any idea how hard all of this is? I'm really trying, but it's so hard! You are leaving me for your pregnant mistress and my sixteen year old daughter is pregnant! It's too much to take! I'm using the last scrape of strengh I've got to keep it together, but it's too much…It's too much!"

"Reba-"

"No. Don't say anything, just…just go away Brock…Please…I can't take anymore."

She grabbes the counter more forcefully, trying to hold on to anything while she fells herself sliping away, breaking in peaces.

"We have to talk, about everything that happened, to us. About Chayenne and her plans to marry Van."

"No."

His hand touches her cheek in a soft caress and she takes a shaky step back, trying to get as far away from Brock as possible, she would probably have an away if not for the tight grip he has on her arm.

"Let me go."

"Look at me."

"No, let me go. Please!"

"Look at me Reba" – He asks again, warm hand grasping her chin tenderly, turning her face towards him when she refused to meet his eyes.

"I'm always here for you Reba. We may not be husband and wife anymore, but you'll always be my best friend. As a friend, I'll always be by your side when you need me."

His hand moves to touch her in such a sweet way that it crumbles with whatever bit of control she had managed to gather. Tears full of longing, pain and love falls from her eyes.

"I'm really sorry about everything, I really am." – Brock whispers as he leans forward and presses his lips against her forehead kissing it softly. When she wraps her arms around and bury her face in his shirt he just holds her tightly, hands carding through her red hair as his own tears stain his cheeks.

"Why did you have to go and do this to me, to us?" – She asks amidst sobs, finally voicing the question that's been eating at her. He hesitates a little before he lets go of her.

"I don't really know. We were growing apart, you and me. We wouldn't touch anymore, we wouldn't talk anymore." – He was looking anywhere but at her.

"Why didn't you talk with me about it?"

"How could I? We couldn't be in the same place together without fighting!" – Brock said, finally looking at Reba.

"One night I was so pissed off at you…and BJ was just there, willing to touch me, to let me touch her…she was willing to listen to me, to my problems…It was a long time since I talked to someone without them yelling at me…I think I've got overwhelmed…It was the first time we…We had sex."

She felt herself shaking with a million pent-up emotions: Rage, hurt, betrayal…She turned away, embarrassed by her weakness, terrified of her thoughts, more so of the feeling of hate flooding her as Brock watched her.

"After that it was easier to have sex with BJ than it was to come home and fight with you. Later I just couldn't seem to let go of her, It was like I was addicted…"

"You love her." – Reba whispered painfully. Brock, thoughtfull.

"I think I do." – He confessed.

She doesn't know what to say to this so she just stands in front of him, shocked.

"Reba, please say something. Talk to me." – He almost pleaded.

She could hear the tears in Brock's voice and it made her feel guilty.

"I don't really know what you are expecting from me Brock, what can I say after all this?"

"That you forgive me?" – He says tentativelly and his voice is so ridiculously hopefull that she laughs.

"You really are a moron Brock. What exactly have you done to deserve my forgiviness?"

"I did say I was sorry didn't I?"

"Sorry isn't enough, not this time."

Brock grabs her hands in his.

"Then tell me what is. What can I do to make you forgive me Reba? Just name it, I'll do anything, I'll say I'm sorry a tousand times untill it's enough for you."

"Don't touch me." – She snapped wrenching her hands out og his grip. – "I can't think when you touch me."

"Reba, please. Talk to me." – He almost pleaded.

"I don't want to talk anymore. Please leave."

"Reba, I'm really trying but you've got to work with me."

"I don't have to do anything to make things easier to you Brock! I'm tired to make things easier for other people! You screwed up, you really screwed up! And you lost the right to apologise when you decided to have an affair."

"Reba don't do this!." – He started in a rush, desperate.

"This conversation is over Brock. Just get out of here, please."

"What? Are you really going to end this here? We have to work this out."

"GET OU!" – She yells angrily and without another word Brock leaves. Reba calmly resume dinner preparations, refusing to let her mind wander further than the recepy she is making, the only aparent sign of her distress is the shaking of her hands.


End file.
